As it urges regulators to approve a dam sale plan that a judge called “not in the public interest,” Consumers has offered to funnel $270 million in ratepayer dollars into the special fund. Critics say the company shouldn’t be entitled to those profits in the first place.
West Michigan
Posted inMichigan Government
Mystery group circulates health petitions — and attacks Republicans
As it circulates petitions to create citizen health care committees in six Michigan cities, a new group is also attacking Republican incumbents.
Posted inMichigan Government
Don’t spit! Michigan’s strangest local laws trace back to bygone eras
Spit, swear or read fortunes at your own risk in some Michigan cities, where old — but often unenforced — local laws remain on the books.
Posted inBusiness Watch
Records: Rural Michigan ‘overlooked’ in Michigan’s $6B subsidy spending spree
A Bridge analysis finds that the northeast Lower Peninsula got $71 per person in economic development spending since 2022, compared to $854 in west Michigan. Some question the disparities.
Posted inTalent & Education
Want to earn a bachelor’s degree? This Michigan college has an app for that
A small private college in west Michigan is offering a chance to earn a degree entirely via cell phone, calling it ‘the future of education.’
Posted inTalent & Education
Attracting Michigan preschoolers, teachers with free housing, other innovations
A shortage of early childhood educators and the lack of child care options in some areas have inspired innovative solutions in Michigan. They include a free housing program in Battle Creek and converting space in a Grand Rapids transit facility into a child-care center.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Grand Rapids to ‘restore the rapids.’ But how will it keep out lamprey?
Starting July 1, Grand Rapids will begin removing four downtown dams in a two-year effort to restore the natural rapids that gave the city its name. But officials are still studying how to remove a fifth dam and still keep out invasive sea lamprey.
Posted inMichigan Government
Scabies outbreak puts more than half of Michigan prison under quarantine
More than a dozen cases of scabies have placed four of six housing units at the Muskegon Correctional Facility under quarantine, suspending visits to affected areas.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan loves a ‘river story.’ But happy ending isn’t guaranteed
Michigan’s rivers are back from the brink — and play a pivotal role in state life. From dams to fish and pollution to development, they face a host of challenges that Bridge is exploring in a summerlong series.
Posted inQuality of Life
Detroit fuels Michigan population gain. See new Census numbers for your town
Detroit added more than 5,000 residents for the second year in a row, but some other communities lost ground, according to new US Census estimates. Use our searchable database to look up your town.